A joey cruelly stuffed in a Queensland post box has been rescued and will now be raised by a wildlife carer.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services personnel attended an Australia Post box on the Gold Coast about 7am on Friday after reports the seven-month-old female Eastern gray was trapped inside.
The joey was then handed over to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where it remains on an IV drip after showing signs of dehydration.
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital senior veterinarian Dr Michael Pyne said the animal most likely would have perished by the day's end if it hadn't been removed, given temperatures topped 30 degrees.
"I've been doing this for 20 years and I've seen some weird stuff but never anything like this," Dr Pyne told AAP.
"We're just very lucky she wasn't in there for long before it was removed. Heat would have been the main threat."
Dr Pyne said the joey, which also received an X-ray and a blood test, would be hand-raised by a wildlife carer after being permanently separated from its mother.
Capable of weighing in at 30 kilograms when fully-grown, the Eastern gray would eventually be given a "soft release", which involves it being eased back into its natural habitat.
Australian Associated Press
